A study of interruptions in 2008 US presidential debates

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES  PHẠM THỊ HIỂN A STUDY OF INTERRUPTIONS IN 2008 US PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES (NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ NGẮT LỜI TRONG CÁC CUỘC TRANH LUẬN TỔNG THỐNG MỸ NĂM 2008) MA MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Linguistics Code: 60220201 Hanoi – 2016 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES  PHẠM THỊ HIỂN A STUDY OF INTERRUPTIONS IN 2008 US PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES (NGHIÊN CỨU VỀ NGẮT LỜI TRONG CÁC CUỘC TRANH LUẬN TỔNG THỐNG MỸ NĂM 2008) MA MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Linguistics Code: 60220201 Supervisor: Assoc Prof Dr Kiều Thị Thu Hương Hanoi – 2016 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The completion of this study would not have been possible without the assistance of special and wonderful people First of all, I would like to acknowledge my indebtedness and gratitude to Assoc Prof Dr Kieu Thi Thu Huong, for her unfailing encouragement, constant support and supervision during all stages of the study Her enthusiastic assistance, guidance, support, and wisdom greatly contributed to the fulfillment of my thesis I would also like to thank my supervisor for her patience in reading and editing my drafts It must have been an unenjoyable experience My sincere thanks go to all lecturers at the Faculty of Post-Graduate Studies ULIS – VNU for their profound knowledge and outstanding teaching during my study here My heartfelt gratitude is also to Dr Huynh Anh Tuan, the Head of the Faculty and all the staff members who have been of great help to me and all other graduate students Last but not least, I would like to give my deepest gratitude to my parents, my husband, my daughter, and my colleagues for their moral support and encouragement throughout my training course i DECLARATION I certify that this thesis is the result of my own research and has not been submitted to any institution or university for assessment purposes before In addition, I acknowledge that all sources used and cited in the study are in the reference section Hanoi, November 2016 Signature Pham Thi Hien ii ABSTRACT This paper investigates interruptions in the three rounds of the 2008 U.S presidential debates between Barack Obama and John McCain to explore patterns of interruptions employed by each candidate, and the ways the two nominees utilize interruptions to achieve their goals in the debates By employing a syntactic-driven typology and a content analysis, the study provides an in-depth look at the phenomenon of interruption, which is often seen to be negative and should be avoided in debates as well as in social interactions It is observed that interruption plays a significant role in the success or failure of each candidate Of the two candidates, Obama proves himself the more flexible and smarter user of interruption to defeat his political enemy, Mc Cain iii TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION .ii ABSTRACT iii ABBREVIATIONS AND CONVENTIONS vi LIST OF FIGURES AND CHARTS vii PART A: INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale for the study .1 Aims and objectives of the study .2 Research questions Scope of the study Methods of the study .3 Significance of the study Design of the study PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW .5 1.1 Conservation Analysis 1.1.1 Background .5 1.1.2 Turns, turn-constructional units, and turn-taking .5 1.1.3 Institutional talks .7 1.2 Interruption .9 1.2.1 Definitions of interruption 1.2.1.1 Definitions of interruption by lexicographers 1.2.1.2 Definitions of interruptions by linguists 1.2.2 Classifications of interruption 11 1.2.2.1 Ferguson’s classification 12 1.2.2.2 Roger, Bull & Smith’s categorization 14 1.2.2.3 Goldberg’s classification 16 1.2.2.4 Kennedy & Camden’s classification 17 1.3 Interruption and dominance and power 19 1.3.1 Concept of dominance and power 19 1.3.2 Interruption and dominance and power 19 1.4 Debates and televised presidential debates 21 1.4.1 Concept of debates 21 1.4.2 Concept of televised presidential debates 21 1.5 Related studies 22 1.5.1 Studies on interruption in political settings 22 1.5.2 Studies on the 2008 U.S presidential debates 22 CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 24 2.1 Restatement of research questions 24 2.2 Appropriateness of research approach 24 iv 2.3 Context of the study 24 2.3.1 Setting of the study 24 2.3.1.1 The 2008 U.S presidential debates 24 2.3.1.2 The presidential candidates 25 2.3.1.3 Effects of the three debates 26 2.3.2 Participants 26 2.4 Research instrument 27 2.5 Data collection and analysis procedure 27 CHAPTER 3: DATA ANALYSIS 28 Classification of interruptions 28 3.1.1 Simple interruptions 28 3.1.2 Overlaps 28 3.1.3 Butting-in interruptions 29 3.1.4 Silent interruptions 30 3.2 Functions of interruption 30 3.2.1 Clarification interruption 30 3.2.2 Agreement interruption 31 3.2.3 Disagreement interruption 32 3.2.4 Tangentialization interruption 34 3.2.5 Subject change interruption 34 3.2.6 Other 35 3.3 Results 35 3.3.1 The relative frequency of different categories of interruption in the three debates 35 3.3.2 The functions of interruptions 36 PART C: CONCLUSION 38 Recapitulations 38 1.1 Interruption patterns 38 1.2 Effects of interruption patterns 40 Implications 41 Limitations and suggestions for further studies 42 REFERENCES 43 APPENDIX I APPENDIX III APPENDIX XXII APPENDIX XXVIII v ABBREVIATIONS AND CONVENTIONS BA Bachelor of Arts CA Conversation Analysis C-SPAN Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network MA Master of Arts ICS Interruption Coding System TCU Turn-constructional unit TRP Transition-relevance place U.S The United States of America & and vs versus vi LIST OF FIGURES AND CHARTS FIGURES Figure 1: Idealized schema for interruptions……………………… …………… 10 Figure 2: Ferguson’s classification of interruptions…………………………….…14 Figure 3: Roger, Bull & Smith’s Interruption Coding System…………………….15 CHARTS Chart 1: Relative frequency of different categories of interruption made by Obama and McCain …………………………………………………………………… 35 Chart 2: Functions of interruptions made by Obama and McCain………… …36 vii PART A: INTRODUCTION Rationale for the study Conversation is an “enterprise” which is characterized by turn-taking – the rule of the speaker and the listener’s changes Turn-taking means that “one person speaks, then the other responds” (Tannen, 1995, p 139) and it is a repetitive process (Levinson, 1983, p 296) in order for the conversation to run smoothly During the turn-taking process, participants are supposed to obey the one-at-a-time rule, i.e., one person should not talk while another person is already talking (Sacks, 1995, p 633) In other words, there should be no interruptions in an ideal conversation, but in practice interrupting2 still occurs Interrupting is not a thing that people are supposed to in conversation But interrupting occurs in conversation Sacks (1992, p 24)3 Sometimes interrupting is proved to be able to function as manifestation of the interrupter’s support, cooperation and understanding in the conversation (Tannen, 1984, 1986; Goldberg, 1990) However, it is normally claimed to have association with dominance, power and control (Černý, 2010; Drass, 1986; James & Clarks, 1993; Octigan & Niederman, 1975; O’ Donnel, 1990; Pschaid, 1993; Tannen, 1991; Zimmerman & West, 1975) The interrupter and the interruptee are seen as “a malevolent aggressor” and “an innocent victim” respectively In intimate relationships, the accusation of interruption is particularly hurtful because “interrupting carries a load of meta-messages that a partner does not care enough, does not listen, is not interested” (Tannen, 1991, p 94) Consequently, in presidential debates where politicians aim to promote “their own opinions, their party and their personas – and also to defame the political enemy” (Luginbühl, 2007, p 1376), interruptions are expected to occur more 1In this study, the word “interruptions” – the plural form – is used to refer to cases of interruption The word “interrupting” and “interruption” are used interchangeably to refer to the act of interrupting as a concept, a linguistic phenomenon 3as cited in O’Reilly (2006, p 550) APPENDIX TRANSCRIPT OF INTERRUPTIONS IN THE THIRD 2008 U.S PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE Fragment 1: 7:05–8:18 OBAMA: I disagree with Senator McCain in how to it because the way Senator McCain has designed his plan, it could be a giveaway to banks if we're buying fullprice for mortgages that now are worth a lot less, and we don't want to waste taxpayer money And we've got to get the financial package working much quicker than it’s been working The last point I want to make, though we've got some long-term challenges in this economy that have to be dealt with We've got to fix our energy policy that's giving our wealth away We've got to fix our health care system, and we've got to invest in our education system for every young person to be able to learn SCHIEFFER: All right (.) // [Would you like] to ask him a question? MCCAIN: [You know] MCCAIN: No I would like to mention that a couple of days ago Senator Obama was out in Ohio, and he had an encounter with a guy who’s a plumber Name is Joe Wurzelburger Joe wants to buy the business that he's been in for all these years Worked 10, 12 hours a day And he wanted to buy the business, but he looked at your tax plan and he saw that he was going to pay much higher taxes You were going to put him in a higher tax bracket, which was going to increase his taxes, which was going to cause him not to be able to employ people, which (#) Joe was trying to realize the American dream Fragment 2: 8:52 –9:10 MCCAIN: And what you want to to Joe the plumber and millions more like him is have their taxes increased and not be able to realize the American dream //[of owning their own business (.)]// SCHIEFFER: [Is that what you want to do?] XXVIII OBAMA: [( )] MCCAIN: [That’s what Joe believes.] OBAMA: He’s been watching some ads of Senator McCain Let me tell you what I’m actually going to Fragment 3: 10:52 –13:02 MCCAIN: You know what Senator Obama ended up his conversation with Joe the plumber? "We need to spread the wealth around." In other words, we're going to take Joe's money, give it to Senator Obama and let him spread the wealth around I want Joe the plumber to spread that wealth around You told him you want to // [spread the] wealth around OBAMA: [(Er (x) er)] MCCAIN: The whole premise behind Senator Obama's plans are class warfare, let's spread the wealth around I want small businesses (#) and by the way, small businesses that we're talking that would receive an increase in their taxes, right now (x) who (x) why would you want to increase anybody's taxes right now? Why would you want to that (#) anyone, anyone in America (x) when we have such a tough time, when these small-business people like Joe the plumber are going to create jobs unless you take that money from him and spread the wealth around// [I'm not] going to// OBAMA: [Okay, can I] MCCAIN: [I'm not going] that in my administra//[tion.] OBAMA: [If (x)] If I can answer the question, number one, I want to cut taxes for 95 percent of Americans Now, it is true that my friend and supporter Warren Buffett, for example, could afford to pay a little more in taxe//[s in order (x)] in order to give (x) in order to give additional tax cuts to Joe the plumber before he was at the point where he could make $250,000 MCCAIN: [We're talking about Joe the plumber] ((Laughs.)) XXIX OBAMA: Then ExxonMobil, which made $12 billion record profits over the last several quarters, they can afford to pay a little more so that ordinary families who are hurting out there, they (x) they're trying to figure out how they're going to afford food, how they’re going to save for their kids' college education, they need a break So, look, nobody likes taxes I would prefer that none of us had to pay taxes, including myself But ultimately we've got to pay for the core investments that make this economy strong, and s//[omebody's gotto it] MCCAIN: [If nobody likes taxes], let's not raise anybody’s tax//[es, okay?] OBAMA: [Well, I don't mind paying a little more] MCCAIN: [The fact is] that businesses in America today are paying the secondhighest tax rate of anywhere in the world Fragment 4: 14:53 – 15:02 OBAMA: Now, what I've done throughout this campaign is to propose a net spending cut I haven't made a promise about ( )// SCHIEFFER: cut some of these programs, sir OBAMA: Absolutely So let me get to that What I want to emphasize though is that I have been a strong proponent of pay-as-you-go Fragment 5: 16:10 –17:19 OBAMA: But what is absolutely true is that once we get through this economic crisis and some of the specific proposals to get us out of this slump, that we're not going to be able to go back our profligate ways and we're going to have to embrace a culture and an ethic of responsibility, all of us, corporations, the federal government and individuals out there who may be living //[beyond their means] SCHIEFFER: [Time's up] Senator (?) MCCAIN: Well, thank you, Bob I just want to get back to this homeownership During the Depression era, we had a thing called the Homeownership Loan Corporation And they went out and bought up these mortgages, and people were able to stay in their homes And eventually the values of those homes went up and they actually made money And by the way, this was a proposal made by Senator XXX Clinton not too long ago So obviously if we can start increasing home values, then there will be creation of wealth// [( )] SCHIEFFER: [But what?] The question was// [what are you going to cut?] MCCAIN: [Okay All right Energy (x) on] (x) well, first (x) second of all, energyindependent we have to nuclear power We have to stop sending $700 billion a year to countries that don't like us very much It's wind, tide, solar, natural gas, nuclear, offshore drilling, which Senator Obama has opposed Fragment 6: 17:56 –18:25 MCCAIN: I know how to save billions of dollars in defense spending I know how to eliminate programs // [I have] fought against SCHIEFFER: [Which ones?] MCCAIN: Well, one of them would be the marketing assistance program Another one would be a (x) a number of subsidies for ethanol I opposed subsidies for ethanol because I thought it distorted the market and created inflation Senator Obama supported those subsidies I would eliminate the tariff on imported sugarcane-based ethanol from Brazil Fragment 7: 18:45 –19:00 MCCAIN: Senator Obama has asked for nearly $1 billion in pork-barrel //[earmark] projects, SCHIEFFER: [Time’s up] MCCAIN: including $3million for an overhead projector in a planetarium in his hometown //That’s not the way we cut// OBAMA: Right SCHIEFFER: [Time’s] MCCAIN: [We]'ll cut out all the pork SCHIEFFER: Time’s up Fragment 8: 20:12–21:26 OBAMA: So one of the things that, I think, we have to recognize is, pursuing the same kinds of policies that we've pursued, over the last eight years, is not going to XXXI bring down the deficit//[And] frankly Senator McCain voted for four out of five of President Bush's budgets We've got to take this in a new direction That's what I’d propose as// [president] SCHIEFFER: [Do] SCHIEFFER: [Do (x])do either of you think you can balance the budget in four years? You have said previously you thought you could, Senator McCain MCCAIN: Sure, I do// [And let me say] SCHIEFFER: [You still that] MCCAIN: Yeah Senator Obama, I am not President Bush If you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago I’m going to give a new direction to this economy in this country Senator Obama talks about voting for budgets He voted twice for a budget resolution that increases the taxes on individuals making $42,000 a year Of course, we can take a hatchet and a scalpel to this budget It’s completely out of control The mayor of New York, Mayor Bloomberg, just posed a(n) across-the-board spending freeze on New York City They're doing it all over America because they have to, because they have to balance their budgets I will balance our budgets and I will get them in and I// [will] SCHIEFFER: [Four years] MCCAIN: reduce the (x) I can (x) we can it with this kind of job creation of energy independence Fragment 9:21:16 –22:49 OBAMA: Well, the (x) there was a lot of stuff that was put out there, so let me try to address it First of all, in terms of standing up to the leaders of my party, the first major bill that I voted on in the Senate was in support of tort reform, which wasn't very popular with trial lawyers, a major constituency in the Democratic Party I // [support] MCCAIN: [An overwhelming vote] OBAMA: I support charter schools and pay-for-performance for teachers Doesn't make me popular with the teachers' union I support clean-coal technology Doesn't XXXII make me popular with environmentalists So I've got a history of reaching across the aisle 10 Fragment 10: 23:39 – 24:47 OBAMA: Now you've shown independence, commendable independence, on some key issues like torture, for example, and (x) and I give you enormous credit for that But when it comes to economic policies, essentially what you're proposing is eight more years of the same thing And it hasn’t worked, and I think the American people understand it hasn’t worked We need to move in a new direction SCHIEFFER: All// [right] MCCAIN: [Let] me (x) let me just say// [Bob Okay, But it’s] (x) SCHIEFFER: [Okay About 30 seconds] MCCAIN: it’s very clear that I have disagreed with the Bush administration I have disagreed leaders of my own party I got the scars to prove it Whether it be bringing climate change to the floor of the Senate for the first time; whether it be opposition to spending and earmarks; whether it be the issue of torture; whether it be the conduct of the war in Iraq, which I vigorously opposed; whether it be on fighting the pharmaceutical companies on Medicare (x) on prescription drugs, importation; whether it be fighting for an HMO patients bill of rights; whether it be the establishment of the 9/11 commission, I have a long record of reform and fighting through on the floor of the United States Senate.// SCHIFFER: All right MCCAIN: Senator Obama, your (x) your (x) your argument for standing up to the leaders of your party isn't very convincing 11 Fragment 11: 27:35 –28:49 MCCAIN: And when you looked into the camera in a debate with Senator Clinton and said, "I will sit down and negotiate with John McCain about public financing before I make a decision," you didn't tell the American people the truth, because you didn't And that's (x) that's (x) that's an unfortunate part Now we have the highest spending by Senator Obama's campaign than any//[time since] Watergate (.) XXXIII SCHIEFFER: [Time’s up] SCHIEFFER: All right.= OBAMA: =Well, look, you know, I think that we expect presidential campaigns to be tough I think that if you look at the record and the impressions of the American people (#) Bob, your network just did a poll showing that two-thirds of the American people think that Senator McCain’s running a negative campaign versus one-third of mine And100 percent, John, of your ads (x) 100 percent of them have been negative.// [A hundred] (x) it (x) MCCAIN: [That’s not true] OBAMA: it absolutely is true And (x) and (x) now, I think the American people are less interested in our hurt feelings during the course of the campaign than addressing the issues that matter to them so deeply And there is nothing wrong with us having a vigorous debate, like we're having tonight, about healthcare, about energy policy, about tax policy 12 Fragment 12: 30:07 –30:34 MCCAIN: Well, if you'll turn on the television, as I (x)I watched the Arizona Cardinals defeat the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.// OBAMA: [Congratulations] MCCAIN: [Every other ad] (x) every other ad was an attack ad on my health care plan And any objective observer has said it's not true You’re running ads right now that say that I oppose federal funding for stem cell research I don't You're running ads that (x) that misportray completely my position on immigration 13 Fragment 13: 30:35–32:23 MCCAIN: So the fact is that Senator Obama is spending unprecedented (x) unprecedented in the history of American politics, going back to the beginning amounts of money in negative attack ads on me And of course I've been talking about the economy Of course I’ve talked to people like Joe the plumber and tell him that I'm not going to spread his wealth around I'm going to let him keep his wealth And of course we're talking about a positive plan of action to restore this XXXIV economy and restore jobs in America That's what my campaign is all about, and that's what it'll continue to be all about But again, I did not hear a repudiation of Congressman // [Lewis’s remarks] OBAMA: [Well, I mean, look]if we want to talk about Congressman Lewis, who is an American hero, he unprompted by my campaign, without my campaign's awareness (#) made a statement that he was troubled with what he was hearing at some of the rallies that your running mate was holding, in which all the public reports indicated were shouting, when my name came up, things like "terrorist" and "Kill him," and that your running mate didn't mention (x) didn't stop, didn’t say, "Hold on a second That's kind of out of line “And I think Congressman Lewis's point was that we have to be careful about how we deal with our supporters Now// [John (x) John (x)]// [Let (x) let (x) let (x) let me (x)] MCCAIN: [((Laughs)) You've got to read what he said] MCCAIN: [You've got to read what he said] OBAMA: let me (x) let me//[complete er:::] SCHIEFFER: [Go ahead] OBAMA: my response I think that he inappropriately drew a comparison between what was happening there and what had happened during the civil rights movement And we immediately put out a statement saying that we don't think that comparison is appropriate 14 Fragment 14: 32:31 –33:21 OBAMA: The important point here is, though, the American people have become so cynical about our politics because all they see is a tit fort at and back and forth And what they want is the ability to just focus on some really big challenges that we face right now And that's what I have been trying to focus on this entire campaign// MCCAIN: [I cannot] OBAMA: [We can have] serious differences about our healthcare policy, for example, John, because// MCCAIN: Yeah XXXV OBAMA: we have a difference on health care policy// MCCAIN: [We do, and I hope we talk about it.] OBAMA: [and we’ll spend some time] talking about it this evening MCCAIN: All right, sure OBAMA: But when people suggest that I pal around with terrorists, then we're not talking about //[issues] MCCAIN: [Well] OBAMA: what we're talking //[aboutare ( )] MCCAIN: [Well, let (x) let me just say], I (x)] I would (#) let me just say MCCAIN: Let me just say categorically I'm proud of the people that come to our rallies 15 Fragment 15: 33:59 – 34:34 MCCAIN: And I'm not going to stand for somebody saying that because someone yelled something at a rally (#) there's a lot of things that have been yelled at your rallies, Senator Obama, that I'm not happy about either, in fact, some T-shirts that are very // [unacceptable] OBAMA: [John, I ( )] MCCAIN: So the point is (x) the point is that I have repudiated every time someone has been out of line, whether they’ve been part of my campaign or not And I will continue to that But the (x) but the fact is that we need to absolutely not stand for the kind of things that have been going on I haven't 16 Fragment 16: 34:35 – 36: 12 OBAMA: Well, look, Bob// [as I said] SCHIEFFER: [I mean you] take issues with that? OBAMA: You know, here (x) here's what I would say I mean, we can have a debate back and forth about the merits of each other’s campaigns I suspect we won't agree here tonight What I think is most important is that we recognize that to solve the key problems that we're facing, if we're going to solve two wars, the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, if we can (x) if we’re going to focus on XXXVI lifting wages that have declined, over the last eight years, and create jobs here in America, then Democrats, independents and Republicans, we're going to have to be able to work together And what is important is making sure that we disagree without being disagreeable And it means that we can have tough, vigorous debates around issues What we can't do, I think, is try to characterize each other as bad people, and that //[has] been MCCAIN: [Well] ((softly)) OBAMA: a culture in Washington that (x) that’s been taking place for too long And // [I think that on (x) I think ( )] MCCAIN: [Well, Bob, you asked me] a direct// [question] about// SCHIEFFER: [Short question] OBAMA: [( )] MCCAIN: Yeah, real quick Mr Ayers, I don't care about an old, washed-up terrorist But as Senator Clinton said in her debates with you, we need to know the full extent of that relationship We need to know the full extent of Senator Obama's relationship with ACORN, who is now on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy, same front outfit, organization that your campaign gave $832,000 for, quote, “lighting and site selection." 17 Fragment 17: 35:41 –36:37 MCCAIN: Mr Ayers, I don't care about an old, washed-up terrorist But as Senator Clinton said in her debates with you, we need to know the full extent of that relationship We need to know the full extent of Senator Obama's relationship with ACORN, who is now on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy, same front outfit, organization that your campaign gave $832,000 for, quote, “lighting and site selection." So all of these things need to be exa//[mined] SCHIEFFER: [All right] MCCAIN: Of course XXXVII SCHIEFFER: I'm going to //[let you respond, but we’ll extend this just for a moment.] OBAMA: [I think it's going to be (x) it's going to be] important to just (#) I'll respond to these two particular //allegations that Senator McCain's made that have gotten a lot of attention In fact Mr Ayers has become the centerpiece of Senator McCain's campaign over the last two or three weeks This has been their primary focus So let's get the record straight SCHIEFFER: Yeah 18 Fragment 18: 39:00 –39:38 MCCAIN: Well, again, while you were on the board of the Woods Foundation, you and Mr Ayers together, you sent $230,000 to ACORN So (x) and you launched your political campaign in Mr Ayers' living//[room And:::] OBAMA: [That's absolutely not true.] MCCAIN: And (x) and the facts are facts, and records are // [records And it’s] OBAMA: [That’s not the facts] MCCAIN: not the fact that Senator Obama choose to associate with a guy who in 2001 said that he wished he'd have bombed more And he had a long association with him It’s the fact that all (x) all of the details need to be known about Senator Obama's relationship with them and with ACORN 19 Fragment 19: 46:06 –46:48 MCCAIN: Maybe that's why he's asked for 860 sought and proposed $860 billion worth of new spending// [and] (x) and wants to raise people’s taxes in a time of incredible challenge and difficulty and heartache for the Ame//[rican families.] SCHIEFFER: [All right.] SCHIEFFER: [Let's] (x) let's go to](x) let's go to a new topic here We're running a little behind Let’s talk about energy and climate control Every president since Nixon has said what both of you //[have said] MCCAIN: [Climate change] XXXVIII SCHIEFFER: Climate change, yes, has (x) has (x) has said what both of you have said, and that is we must reduce our dependence on foreign oil When Nixon said it, we imported from 17 to 34 percent of our foreign oil Now we're importing more than 60 percent 20 Fragment 20: 52:21 –53:07 MCCAIN: So Senator Obama, who has never traveled south of our border, opposes the Colombia free trade agreement; the same country that’s helping us try to stop the flow of drugs, into our country, that’s killing young Americans, and also the country that just freed three Americans that (x) that will help us create jobs in America, because they will be a market for our goods and products without have to pay-without us having to pay the billions of dollar (x) the billion dollars and more that we've already paid Free trade with Colombia is something that's a no-brainer But maybe you ought to travel down there // [and] visit them and maybe you could understand it a lot better OBAMA: [Well] OBAMA: Let (x) let me respond Actually I understand it pretty well 21 Fragment 21:59:35 –1:01:00 MCCAIN: Now, my old buddy Joe, Joe the plumber, is out there Now, Joe, Senator Obama's plan If you're a small business and you're able and you’re (#) the guy that sells to you will not have a capital gains tax increase, which Senator Obama wants If you're out there, my friend, and you've got employees and you’ve got kids, if you don't adopt the health care plan that Senator Obama mandates, he's going to fine you Now, Senator Obama, I'd like (x) still like to know what that fine’s going to be And I don't think that Joe right now wants to pay a fine when he is seeing such difficult times in America's economy Senator Obama wants to set up health care bureaucracies, take over the health care of America through (#) as he said, his object is a single-payer system If you like that you'll (x) you would love Canada and England So //[the point is] (x) so// SCHIEFFER: [Is that your objective?] XXXIX OBAMA: [It is] (x) it is not And (x) and I //[just described it] I (x) I //[just ( )] MCCAIN: [No, you stated it] MCCAIN: [Excuse me] OBAMA: I (x) I just described what my plan is And I’m happy to talk to you, Joe, too, if you’re out there Here’s your fine: zero You won’t pay// [a fine] because (x) MCCAIN: Zero (?) OBAMA: zero (x) because I (x) as I said in our last debate and I'll repeat, John (#) I exempt small businesses from the requirement for large businesses that can afford to provide health care to their employees but are not doing it I exempt small businesses from having to pay into a kitty 22 Fragment 22: 1:05:10 –1:05:41 MCCAIN: Senator Obama wants government to the (x) the job I want, Joe, you to the job I want to leave money in your pocket I want you be (x) you to be able to choose the health care for you and your family That's what I'm all about And we've had too much government and too much spending (,) and the // [government] is (#) the size of government has grown by 40 percent in the last eight years We can’t afford that in the next eight years // [and se]nator Obama’s with the Democrats in charge of Congress, things have gotten worse SCHIEFFER: All right OBAMA: [(Excuse me)] ((softly)) MCCAIN: If you noticed, they've been in charge the last two // [years.] SCHIEFFER: [All right], a short response 23 Fragment 23: 1:06:40 –1:07:10 MCCAIN: I would never and have never, in all the years I’ve been there, impose a litmus test on any nominee to the court That’s not appropriate to //[do.] SCHIEFFER: [But you (x) you want Roe v Wade to be overturned] MCCAIN: [I think it was a bad decision (x) I thought it was a] (x) I thought it was a bad decision I think there were a lot of decisions that were bad I think that the decision should rest in the hands of the states I’m a federalist And I believe XL strongly that we should have nominees to the United States Supreme Court based on their qualifications rather than any litmus test 24 Fragment 24: 1:07:49 –1:08:41 MCCAIN: Senator Obama voted against Justice Breyer and Justice Roberts on the grounds that they didn't meet his ideological standards That’s not the way we should judge these nominees Elections have consequences They should be judged on their qualifications And so I (#) that's what I will I will find the best people in the world in (x) in the United States of America who have a history of strict adherence to the Constitution and // [not legislating] from the bench= SCHIEFFER: [But even if it was someone] SCHIEFFER: = Even someone who had a history of being for abortion rights, // [you would consider them] MCCAIN: [I would (x) I would] I would consider anyone in their qualifications I not believe that someone who has supported Roe v Wade that would be a part of those qualifications But I certainly would not impose any litmus test 25 Fragment 25: 1:11:00 –1:11:19 OBAMA: I supported that effort to provide better guidance to the courts John McCain opposed it I think that it's important for judges to understand that if a woman is out there trying to raise a family, trying to support her family, and is being treated unfairly, then the (x) the court has to stand up if nobody else will, and SCHIEFFER: All right OBAMA: and that’s the kind of judge that I want= SCHIEFFER: =Time’s up 26 Fragment 26: 1:14:58 – 1:15:16 OBAMA: Those are all things that we put in the Democratic platform for the first time this year And I think that's where we can find some common ground, because nobody is pro-abortion I think it’s always a tragic situation we should try to reduce// [these circumstances.] XLI SCHIEFFER: [Let’s (x)] let’s give] Senator McCain //[just a short response and then] MCCAIN: [Just again (x) just again the]example of the eloquence of Senator Obama He’s (#) health of the mother 27 Fragment 27: 1:20:43 –1:21:06 SCHIEFFER: Do you think the federal government should play a larger role in the schools (?)// OBAMA: [Well] SCHIEFFER: [And] I mean more federal money?= OBAMA: =Well, we have a tradition of local control of the schools, and that’s a tradition that has served us well But I think that it is important for the federal government to step up and help local school districts some of the things they need to 28 Fragment 28: 1:25:35–1:26:38 OBAMA: I'll just make a quick comment about vouchers in D.C Senator McCain is absolutely right that the D.C school system is in terrible shape, and it has been for a very long time And we’ve got a wonderful new superintendent there, who's working very hard with the young mayor there, to try//[to initiate] who (x) who actually support charters// MCCAIN: [Who supports vouchers] MCCAIN: [She supports vouchers also.] OBAMA: [But the (x)] but (x) but here’s the thing, is that even if Senator McCain were to say that vouchers were the way to go, I disagree with him on this, because the data doesn't show that it actually solves the problem The centerpiece of Senator McCain's education policy is to increase the voucher program in D.C by 2,000 slots That leaves all of you who live in the other 50 states without an education reform policy from Senator McCain So if we are going to be serious about this issue, we've got to have a president who is going to tackle it head-on, and that's what I intend to as president XLII ... analytic and comparative are also used to bring about the patterns of interruptions and their effects in the debates 27 CHAPTER 3: DATA ANALYSIS Classification of interruptions 3.1.1 Simple interruptions. .. changes” (Prabhakaran, Arora & Rambow, 2014, p 1481) Clarification Agreement Disageement Tangentialization Subject change Obama McCain Chart 2: Functions of interruptions made by Obama and McCain... McCain Clarification interruptions rank the third with a total of 16 cases, accounting for 19.1% Agreement interruptions make a modest appearance, totaling 10 instances in debates, accounting